Masters Degrees (Nursing)https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/6965
Sun, 15 Sep 2019 12:08:18 GMT2019-09-15T12:08:18ZDescribing nurses’ stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental disorders in a selected district hospital setting in Rwanda.https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/16381
Describing nurses’ stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental disorders in a selected district hospital setting in Rwanda.
Aim
The purpose of this study was to describe mental disorder stigmatising attitudes held by nurses, in a selected district hospital in Rwanda, and to analyse the potential mediating effects of person variables, specifically familiarity, on these stigmatising attitudes.
Methodology
The stigma process framework informed a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive research design. A self-report questionnaire included person variables (age, gender, nursing qualification, nursing category and years of nursing experience) and two scales; Level of Contact Scale (LOC) and Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness - Swedish version (CAMI-S). A sample of one hundred and two (n=102) was achieved. Ethical approval was obtained from educational institutions, University of KwaZulu-Natal in SA and Kigali Health institute in Rwanda, and at local health care service level in Rwanda.
Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21. Analysis includes descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis; associations between scale scores and person variables, inter-correlations between CAMI-S subscales and total scores and correlations of CAMI-S and LOC scale scores. Non parametric tests were used, Mann–Whitney U Test, Kruskal-Willis H Test and Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient test and significance was determined by Cohen’s guide lines (Cohen, 1988) cited in Pallant (2010; 2013).
Results Although participants reported negative stereotypes in all items on the CAMI-S, related to persons with a mental disorder in keeping with previous international (Griffiths, Nakane, Christensen, Yoshioka, Jorm, & Nakane, 2006; Veer, Kraan, Drosseart & Moddle, 2006; Putman, 2008) and local studies (Smith & Middleton, 2010), the extent of contradiction within participant responses suggests social desirability bias. Results suggest that, while participants acknowledge community integration of mental health services in principle, their desire for social distance from persons with a mental disorder was strongly evident in responses to proximity of living arrangements and support of segregation. Statistical results indicated no associations between negative stereotypes and participants’ gender, category of nurses or level of education. However, associations between negative stereotypes and the younger age group and the less experienced participants are reported as statistically significant. There was high levels of familiarity amongst participants, more than half of participants (57.8%, n=59) scored levels of familiarity at 9, A friend of my family has a mental disorder, and above. A negative correlation is reported between familiarity and stigmatizing attitudes.
Conclusion and recommendation
Results suggest familiarity has a positive mediating effect on negative stereotypes. In addition older more experienced nurses are reported to have less stigmatising attitudes towards persons with a mental disorder. Despite these results, contradictions within participants’ responses on the CAMI-S suggest that additional research and intervention studies, specifically with general health care practitioners, are recommended to clarify the contradictions and obtain empirical data about effectiveness of contact with persons with a mental disorder.
Key words: Stigma, negative stereotypes, mental disorder, district hospital
Master of Nursing in Mental Health. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.
Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/163812013-01-01T00:00:00ZExploring factors influencing nursing staff turnover at a selected public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/16372
Exploring factors influencing nursing staff turnover at a selected public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.
Background: Turnover of nursing staff is a major challenge within healthcare settings and for healthcare in general, urging the need to improve retention in hospitals. Nurses are the largest group of health professionals and account for a large proportion of total healthcare costs. During periods of economic austerity, nurses are the worse affected. Patients remain indirectly affected, owing to decline in care, as these time periods of economic downturn are marked with the merging of health care facilities, cost reduction leaving institutions with post available for new staff which leads high staff turnover rate.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing nursing staff turnover at a selected public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.
Methodology: A quantitative descriptive design was used for the study. Convenience sampling was used to select a sample consisting of 92 nurses, from all categories, working at a selected public hospital in Durban, KwaZulu- Natal. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS, Version 25. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize and describe the characteristics of the respondents, while correlation analysis and the Chi-square test were used to establish the relationships of the study variables and the respondents’ characteristics.
Findings: The study found that inadequate compensation and availability of training programmes for nursing staff increases the number of nurses leaving the institution. In respect to personal factors, respondents perceived that there is not enough flexibility in regard to working hours that respondents would like to work. When the relationship between organisational factors and the reasons nurses leaving the organisation was assessed, the majority 62.0% (n=57) of the participants stated the organisation organisational factor as the reason. Other indicated inadequate remuneration, training programmes, and staff development in the organisation lead to job dissatisfaction.
Recommendations: In response to nurses leaving the organisation, the commendation to management should attempt to provide better remuneration for staff such as bonuses or better salaries to retain staff and prevent them going to other organisations for employment.
Conclusion: Improving the working environment and job satisfaction becomes increasingly important to retain nurses and reducing staff turnover.
Master of Nursing. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2018.
Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/163722018-01-01T00:00:00ZExploring the use of e-Learning platforms by Postgraduate Nursing students in a selected Higher Education institution.https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/16371
Exploring the use of e-Learning platforms by Postgraduate Nursing students in a selected Higher Education institution.
Background: E learning is one of the latest trends in nursing education to enhance learning and flexibility in the teaching and learning process. Literature however shows that while undergraduate students adjust easily to the use of technology, postgraduate students tend to struggle due to their lower levels of computer literacy computer literacy and unfamiliarity with eLearning.
Study aim: To explore and describe the use of e-Learning platforms by postgraduate nursing students’ at a selected higher educational institution within KwaZulu-Natal.
Methods: A quantitative approach and descriptive exploratory design were adopted in this study. About 60 postgraduate nursing students registered in 2016 participated in this study. Data was collected using a self-report questionnaire. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University Ethics Board; protocol number HSS/1718/016M and ethics principles were observed throughout the study. Data was analysed statistically using frequency distributions and the Chi-square test to assess the associations between each item on the perceptions and challenges with the socio-demographic factors.
Results: The participants positively viewed the use of technology and e-learning in the postgraduate programme. About 70% reported exposure for the first time to Moodle at the university, 62.1% reported training in the use of Moodle, and 68.3% had access to the computer at home for learning purposes. The majority however expressed discomfort with the use of Moodle, and this was associated with the technical challenges they had due to limited IT skills. There was a statistically significant association between ability to use Moodle and proficiency in English, computer literature, availability of technical support and access to computer
Conclusion: E-learning has value in a postgraduate programme and has a potential to yield positive outcomes if the students are introduced early during their undergraduate studies, if they are trained on the use of Moodle and have technical support available when necessary.
Master of Nursing in Nursing Education. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2018.
Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/163712018-01-01T00:00:00ZExploring the perceptions of student nurses on patient-centered care provided in psychiatric institutions in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/16370
Exploring the perceptions of student nurses on patient-centered care provided in psychiatric institutions in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
The purpose of the study was to explore and describe how student nurses perceive patient-centered care in their allocated units in the uMgungundlovu district.
The main objectives of this study were to:
• Explore the student nurses ‘perceptions of patient – centered care provided.
• Describe the student nurses’ perceptions of patient-centered care provided.
• Describe where the working environment in the psychiatric institution is supportive of patient-centered care.
• Explore and describe what factors could hinder the provision of patient-centered care according to the student nurses’ perceptions.
• Explore and describe what factors could promote the provision of patient-centered care according to the student nurses’ perceptions.
The researcher used the qualitative , explorative and descriptive approach. Focus group interviews were used to collect data from fourth year psychiatric nursing students who were doing the four year course diploma programme at two psychiatric institutions in the uMgungundlovu district, where student nurses from other campuses were allocated. The interviews were tape recorded and later transcribed to facilitate easy analysis. Thematic data analysis was used.
The findings suggest that inconsistent practices are the biggest hindrances to patient-centered care. Patients and relatives are not often involved in their own care and there is a lack of information given to patients by health providers which contributes to patients’ inability to make decisions and choices for themselves. Their rights in this regard are violated. The lack of resources interferes with the goal of promoting patient centered care.
A number of recommendations for psychiatric nursing practice, education, policy making and nursing research based on the data from the study were made. If accepted and implemented, patient-centered care in the psychiatric institutions might improve.
Master of Nursing in Mental Health. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.
Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/163702013-01-01T00:00:00Z